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Week 10 was considered “Statement Saturday” across the college football landscape, but for B1G quarterbacks, it was “Bounce Back Saturday.”
Several quarterbacks across the league rectified their poor performances from last week, particularly from some of the better passers in the league. Purdue’s David Blough responded in a big way and Iowa’s Nate Stanley was more consistent and accurate than a week ago. Illinois’ A.J. Bush Jr. had his top performance of the season and even Rutgers freshman Artur Sitkowski had a nice outing.
Sure, there were still a few bad days in the league, but several B1G quarterbacks responded well after the final weekend in October.
We’ve got some major moves this week in the rankings. We’ll see if you agree with the final result.
14. Artur Sitkowski, Rutgers (Even)
For the first time in awhile, the true freshman had a really good outing. He completed more than 50 percent of his passes, had over 250 yards through the air and didn’t have an interception. Rutgers was never really in the game against Wisconsin, but Sitkowski kept the Knights from getting blown out in Madison.
Last week vs. Wisconsin: 20-of-39, 261 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs
13. Kasim Hill, Maryland (Down 3)
There may not be a quarterback who fluctuates more in the B1G than Hill. Sometimes it’s by design, as Matt Canada’s offense doesn’t throw the ball around the field a whole lot. Other times, he just doesn’t play well. It was a little of both on Saturday. Hill also so a pretty good Michigan State defense over the weekend.
Last week vs. Michigan State: 8-of-21, 74 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
12. Zack Annexstad/Tanner Morgan, Minnesota (Even)
It appears that Morgan may be the guy for the rest of the season, but we’ll continue to include Annexstad’s name on the line for one more week. Not a bad outing for Morgan against Illinois, but Minnesota’s defense essentially negated his performance. In two games, Morgan has played pretty well for the Gophers. You just may not know it by looking at the final score.
Last week vs. Illinois: 14-of-27, 258 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
11. Alex Hornibrook, Wisconsin (Even)
Hornibrook returned to the field after missing last week’s game against Northwestern while in concussion protocol. The junior didn’t play well in his return, throwing for under 100 yards and tossing two picks against Rutgers. Hornibrook may not have been 100 percent for Saturday’s game, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt this week.
Last week vs. Rutgers: 7-of-16, 92 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs
10. A.J. Bush, Illinois (Up 3)
Best performance of the season for Bush. He accounted for over 300 yards and four touchdowns, dicing up the Minnesota defense with his arm and his legs. Bush has shown the ability to be a dynamic playmaker at times this season but hasn’t been consistent enough throughout the season. This was a performance the Illinois quarterback will remember for awhile.
Last week vs. Minnesota: 18-of-25, 216 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
9. Brian Lewerke, Michigan State (Even)
Another less-than-impressive outing from the Michigan State gunslinger. Lewerke still doesn’t appear to be at full strength, but he also isn’t getting much help from his receivers or offensive line. Fortunately, running back Connor Heyward had a big day and was able to bail out the Spartans offense with a couple of important touchdown runs. Lewerke needs a much better outing to beat Ohio State next Saturday.
Last week vs. Maryland: 11-of-20, 87 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
8. Peyton Ramsey, Indiana (Down 1)
Indiana was on a bye week. Ramsey will be back on the field against Maryland next week.
Last week, bye week: No stats
7. Clayton Thorson, Northwestern (Up 1)
Thorson didn’t put up the big numbers he’s capable of against Notre Dame, but he played a clean game and kept the Wildcats within striking distance most of the evening. He needed to be more of a factor for Northwestern to have a legitimate shot at pulling off the upset. Cutting down on the interceptions was important though, especially as the pursuit of a B1G West crown enters the final stretch.
Last week vs. No. 4 Notre Dame: 16-of-29, 141 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs
6. Adrian Martinez, Nebraska (Even)
Strong performances haven’t led to wins for the Huskers, but there’s no denying that Martinez has been really special this season. Saturday’s outing against Ohio State was no exception. Aside from one really terrible throw/fumble/turnover, the freshman was outstanding for his first game at Ohio Stadium against the 10th-ranked Buckeyes. Eventually, these big-time numbers are going to start leading to victories in Lincoln.
Last week vs. No. 10 Ohio State: 22-of-33, 266 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs
5. Nate Stanley, Iowa (Even)
A nice bounce-back effort from Stanley after a dreadful day against Penn State. It wasn’t quite enough, though. In most games this season, Stanley’s performance on Saturday would’ve propelled Iowa to a win. The defense struggled against the Boilermakers, meaning the Hawkeyes needed just a little bit more from the junior gunslinger. Still, it was nice to see one of the better B1G quarterbacks bounce back after a tough outing a week ago.
Last week vs. Purdue: 21-of-32, 275 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs
4. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Down 2)
One of the worst outings of McSorley’s career at Penn State. He accounted for just 77 yards in the blowout loss to Michigan, marking the first time since becoming the starter that he hasn’t hit at least 100 yards. The Nittany Lions needed a big day from their senior leader if they wanted to compete with the Wolverines. But Michigan’s defense was too much and made life miserable for McSorley.
Last week vs. No. 5 Michigan: 5-of-13, 83 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
3. David Blough, Purdue (Up 1)
Blough came up huge for Purdue in a must-win game to keep B1G West hopes alive. Yes, he threw a few critical interceptions, but the senior made some key throws, beating an Iowa defense that has been pretty disciplined all year long. Blough’s performance against Michigan State was uncharacteristic. On Saturday, he proved why he’s easily one of the top quarterbacks in the B1G.
Last week vs. No. 16 Iowa: 23-of-32, 333 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs
2. Shea Patterson, Michigan (Up 1)
Less is more sometimes. Patterson hasn’t put up huge numbers this season, a bit of a reason why we’ve been reluctant to keep him in the top three. But Michigan really hasn’t needed a big stat line from its quarterback to win games. Patterson has been effective and accurate all throughout the season. So far, he’s lived up to all the hype.
Last week vs. No. 14 Penn State: 11-of-17, 144 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
1. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Even)
Ohio State was able to take some of the pressure of Haskins this week, establishing an effective rushing attack against Nebraska. The Buckeyes still needed some plays from their quarterback, and he delivered quite nicely. Saturday wasn’t the greatest day for the Buckeyes gunslinger, but he still has an incredible resumé and is a key reason why Ohio State is 8-1.
Last week vs. Nebraska: 18-of-32, 252 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB